November 27-28, 2001by Rachel Douglas

Lyndon LaRouche's economic science, including the Eurasian Land-Bridge project, was the focus of a scientific conference held Nov. 27-28 at Moscow's Vernadsky State Geological Museum. The conference, attended by 50 top scientists from the Russian Academy of Sciences and Dr. Sergei Glazyev, head of the Economic Commission of the Russian Duma (Parliament), was sponsored by the Museum, and by the Schiller Institute, an organization founded by Helga Zepp LaRouche which promotes republican economics and Classical cultural policy.

The subject of the conference was "The Realization of the Concept of the Noösphere in the 21st Century: Russia's Mission in the World Today."

LaRouche himself sent a paper on "The Spirit of Russia's Science," dealing with the concepts developed by Ukrainian-Russian scientist Vladimir Vernadsky, specifically the "biosphere" and the "noosphere." In this paper, a shortened version of which was read in Russian and discussed, LaRouche argues that Vernadsky's assertion of the power of the cognitive human mind, a physically weak power, as a dominant shaper of the physical universe (the biosphere), is a critical contribution to the role which Russia must play today in developing the political and economic basis for Eurasian development.

Dr. Jonathan Tennenbaum of the Schiller Institute opened the conference and gave a presentation during the first session on "Eurasian Infrastructure Development and the Noösphere Principles of Physical Economy." He placed LaRouche's Land-Bridge proposal, which calls for the creation of a network of infrastructure corridors in Eurasia, and beyond, in the context of Vernadsky's Noösphere concept, arguing that it "cannot be seen merely as a commercial understaking. In combination with certain measures to stimulate scientific and technological progress, these projects provide the most efficient means to reverse the current 'entropic' degeneration of most of the world's physical economy, and to restore real growth in agreement with the requirements of the Noösphere."

The scientists who followed, presented in-depth proposals for infrastructure development, most of which are already under discussion by the Russian government.

Eurasian Rail Projects

Two prominent Russian speakers took up the issue of Eurasian infrastructure corridors, and particularly the role to be played by railroads.

V.G. Popov of the Moscow State Railways University forecast "The Role of International Railroad Transportation Corridors in the Modernization of Russia in the 21st Century." He focussed on the potentials of the Trans-Siberian Railroad.

Also speaking on rail corridors was Academician V. Myasnikov, a noted Sinologist from the Academy of Sciences Institute of the Far East, who heads the History Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences as a whole. Myasnikov reviewed the work of Count Sergei Witte, the father of the First Eurasian Land-Bridge, and his relationship with Vernadsky (1863-1945), before launching into a discussion of the rail projects in the Far East which he considered key instruments for progress, and economic revival. Myasnikov put himself squarely on the side of the Schiller Institute's advocacy of magnetic levitation technology for new train lines which would go all the way from Asia to Europe, pulling the vast regions in between into the development process.

Myasnikov's presentation ended with an agitated discussion among participants about what Russian government policy should be, including questions about whether the building of such rail lines would not facilitate the looting of Russia. Myasnikov held firmly to the concept that rail development is indispensable for maintaining and increasing the Russian population in the vast interior of the country.

Dr. Glazyev's Intervention

Dr. Sergei Glazyev, chairman of the Russian State Duma's Committee on Economic Policy, visited the conference on Nov. 27 to make an impassioned speech on Russia's mission in the world. Glazyev greeted the conference on behalf of the State Duma, noting that the results of the event would be taken under advisement by the Russian Parliament. Turning to the mission of Russia, Glazyev recalled that Russia has more than once been the nation that "saved the world from chaos"as during the Napoleonic Wars, and in World War II. Despite the damage of the past decade, Russia is still a great nation, and its economy is one of the world's largest.

Glazyev then blasted globalization and the attempt to eliminate the sovereign nation-state, deriving profits by looting national economies. The huge financial pyramid, built up since 1971 through the U.S. Federal Reserve System's printing of dollars, is no longer stable; any serious shock may crash it. LaRouche's forecast of a gigantic financial crisis this autumn was right, Glazyev said, but the events of Sept. 11 prevented groups of nations from taking action to deal with it. Moreover, he warned, some of the key nations that have campaigned for a multipolar world, are now being targetted as "terror"-sponsoring countries. He said that a world order, subservient to this sick financial system, would be a move away from the Noösphere, destroying nations and precluding normal economic activity.

The task of overcoming the crisis is difficult, because there are powerful interests behind the present financial order, but we must deal with it, Glazyev said, and move to "an economy of scientific and technological progress," wherein knowledge is the primary resource. He argued that Russia has a cultural affinity to such concepts as "the Noösphere" and "the common good," because of the primacy of the spiritual over the material in Russian culture. We must come through this turbulent period, Glazyev said, and Russia has a great role in determining a future which is more successful than what has come before.

Asked what should be done, "if the U.S. dollar crashes tomorrow," Glazyev replied that the dollar's crash might not come "overnight," but it is inevitable, and therefore, already now, it is appropriate to begin to use national currencies and restore sovereignty. He said that Russia has certain relations with Europe, which are relevant in this regard, but there is also potential for a ruble-yuan-yen currency zone of cooperation. On the question of new sources of financing, Glazyev brought up the idea of a Russian Development Bank. - Science and Development -

Russian scientists Oleg Kuznetsev, D.V. Rundkvist, B.M. Vladimirovsky, and G.V. Naumov also gave presentations on the scientific ramifications of the work of Vernadsky, including the axioms upon which the geobiologist was operating. The extensive discussion touched on many fundamentals, including the power of man's reason in the universe, and the "precise scientific definition" of the Noösphere.

Lev Golubchikov, who administers Russia's fusion energy research program, at one point intervened in the discussion to stress the importance of technological revolutions, and to urge that everyone read LaRouche's latest book, "The Economics of the Noösphere," to get the answer to their questions.

The two-day conference was concluded with the passage of a resolution attacking monetarism and Malthusianism. Schiller Institute representative Tennenbaum, and his colleague Karl-Michael Vitt went on to participate in the annual Ambassadorial Reception of the Federal Appraisal Foundation, which was discussing the development of financial relations between European countries and Russian business circles. Here too, LaRouche's Land-Bridge proposal was a major item of discussion.

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